Musical Celebrations Add Sparkle To Holiday

If nature cooperates, the men and women fighting the forest fires get the upper hand, and no more blazes start in the Rim country, there will be plenty of activities to enjoy over the Independence Day weekend.

Events abound throughout the Rim country in honor of our country's 229th birthday.

Roundup file photo

Put on your patriotic colors and plan to have plenty of fun in the
Rim country for the Fourth of July weekend. Communities all around
the area will be having special celebrations: a pancake breakfasts,
ice cream social, and melodrama; arts and crafts fair; and a family
fun day.

In Christopher Creek, the community will present its annual melodrama. This year's production is "Cheerio Y'all or Miss Keyes In the Conservatory With the Feather Boa," a murder-mystery by Whitney Ryan Garrity and music by Wanda West Palmer. Performances are at 7 p.m. Friday, July 1, and at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, July 2 at the Christopher Creek Latter-day Saints Church.

Admission is free, but tickets are required. Call (928) 468-7416 to reserve a space, and enjoy an evening of fun, laughs, and free popcorn.

Take a drive out to Christopher Creek early on July 2 and let the Christopher Creek Homeowners Association cook breakfast for you.

The group is will be having a pancake breakfast at Christopher/Kohl's Fire Department Saturday, July 2, from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Prices are $2 for children under 10 and $3.50 for adults. Proceeds go to benefit the fire department for buying new equipment.

Later, again at the fire hall, the Firebelles -- the auxiliary of the fire department -- will have an ice cream social from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. All proceeds from the social go to the medical education fund program.

After breakfast in Christopher Creek, head north to Pine for the Pine Strawberry Arts and Craft Guild's 25th annual juried show. It is both Saturday, July 2, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, July 3 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

All booth spaces are full of a wonderful variety of hand-painted household items, jewelry, dolls, pillows, children's cloth books, stained glass and many other unique items for your home or gifts. The seniors will be making Navajo Tacos. There will be many other food items available. Face painting and a playground will be available for the children.

Enjoy an evening of Americana Story Songs performed by Jim Pipkin at the Rimside Grill in Pine on Saturday evening, July 2. He is one of the state's selected artists, holding a place on the Arizona Commission on the Arts roster, which sends performers to arts centers, museums and schools throughout the state. Pipkin will be performing his original songs.

Stop by the Pine Library while visiting the arts and crafts fair. The Pine Library Friends are having a book sale from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, July 2, at the library parking lot. There is a huge selection of books, audios and videos. The prices will amaze you -- just in time to fix that summer reading bug.

After visiting the Christopher Creek and Pine areas, plan on spending July 4 at Green Valley Park in Payson.

This year's event will feature a larger fireworks show and more entertainment. This is a free event the family is sure to enjoy.

The fun will take place from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Green Valley Park amphitheater. There will be games, gunnysack races, tug-o-war, and other activities for all ages. Bring a picnic basket and blanket, or grab some food from one of the vendors that will be on hand, so you can sit back after a day of fun and enjoy live family entertainment by local bands.

John Carpino and The Hot Cappuccinos perform from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Claymation will be providing the entertainment from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The Hot Cappuccinos is a five-piece variety rock band performing a wonderful mix of classic rock, crossover country-rock and contemporary music. Together, the members have more than 100 years of experience in the music business. Carpino, voted Payson's favorite musician for 11 years now, has assembled some of Rim country's finest musicians -- Billy Ichida (with Junction 87) on lead guitar, Chris Campbell on drums, James Altstatt on bass and Lu Carpino on keyboard, percussion and vocals. The combination is dynamic -- an energetic, fun sound with an emphasis on strong vocals and harmonies. In addition to original tunes, the Hot Cappuccinos play music from the 60s through today -- sounds from the Eagles, Van Morrison, John Mellencamp, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Santana, Linda Ronstadt, Bob Marley -- just to name a few. Carpino said the band is planning to do some patriotic pieces and invite the audience to sing along.

Clay Sopeland, who grew up in Payson, is founder and lead singer for Claymation. The other members of the band are Greig Perrin, lead guitar; Kris Olsen, bass; and Marty Tkackyk, drummer. Sopeland, Perrin and Olsen have played together for nine years, Tkackyk is the new kid in the group.

Sopeland said the band plays a variety of sounds including country, classic rock, contemporary rock, and could be debuting an original song at the concert on July 4.

Handicap accessible parking will be located in the northeast parking lot next to the amphitheater, but no shuttle service from other parking areas will be provided. Those attending can park around the park; in the lot at Julia Randall Elementary School; and at the Presbyterian Church on Main.

There will be several road closures as well, according to Payson Police Commander Don Engler.

At 2 p.m. July 4 the boat dock at Green Valley Lake will be closed and after 5 p.m. West Lake Drive, west of the dam, and Country Lane will be closed except for residents along those roads and their guests.

At the conclusion of the event, the police will have two lanes of east-bound traffic on Main Street and anyone parked west of the dam will have to go up Country Club Lane, Vista Road and down Airport Road to get back into town.